Pallet bin



D. RAWLE PALLET BIN April 16, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 22, 1958 D. RAWLE April 16, 1963 PALLET BIN 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 22, 1958 United States Patent 3,085,706 PALLET BIN David Rawle, West Hartford, Conn., assignor to Clinch- Tite Corporation, West Hartford, Conn, a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 22, 1958, Ser. No. 782,257 3 Claims. (Cl. 217-48) This invention relates to pallet containers.

In storage and shipment of bulk material and the like it has been found desirable to place a number of articles to be stored or shipped upon pallets permitting easy handling by, for instance, fork lifts and cargo tackles, creating a space between the bottom of the material being stored and the surface upon which the support rests.

Frequently, as in storing bulk material and small packages, enclosures forming bins are mounted upon the wooden pallets. Such enclosures have been manufactured of wood and of steel in various forms but a strong and simple wooden enclosure capable of repeated collapsing without disassembling the panels of the enclosure has not been produced which can economically repeatedly be used to contain material on pallets and subsequently be collapsed for storage or shipment.

In the practice of stacking units of pallets and their filled enclosures in tiers of two or three units, laborers handling the units have encountered difiiculties in centering one unit on top of another and generally, in producing stable tiers.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to produce an improved pallet bin.

Other objects will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

The objects of'this invention are realized by the relation of Wood and metal elements in a new, simple way which enables a great economy of materials and simplicity of assembly while making a rugged and strong enclosure possible.

The invention will be better understood by reference to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a preferred embodiment of Q the pallet bin of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the pallet bin of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the enclosure portion of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1 of this invention as collapsed for storage or shipment;

FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective of the various elements of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional detail of the strap portion of another preferred embodiment of this invention; and

FIG. 6 is a detail of a preferred embodiment of the joint between adjacent panels of the enclosure of this invention.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 through 4 where like numerals refer to like elements, a preferred embodiment of this invention will be described.

An enclosure 40 comprised of four panels is placed upon a pallet 53. Each of the panels of the enclosure comprises horizontal cleats 42 having flat vertical inside surfaces to which vertical slats 46 are fastened. A continuous metal rod 44 extends horizontally between each cleat 42 and attached slats 46 from end to end of each cleat. From each end of each cleat rod ends 48 extend. These protruding rod portions are substantially equal in length and all rod ends extending from any side of any panel have substantially the same angularity with respect to its cleat.

The thus formed panels have a plurality of rod ends 48 extending from each of the vertical sides of the panel terminating substantially at the same vertical line. A

3,635,706 Patented Apr. 16, 1963 vertical rod 49 extends vertically parallel with the panel and is firmly secured by welding to each the rod ends 48, the welds appearing at 43' in FIG. 4. The vertical rods 49 of adjacent panels are encircled in a metal helix 50 substantially completely along their length. The rod end portions 48 extending through individual spirals of the helix prevent substantial vertical relative movement between the panels and the helix. The horizontal rods are protected by the wood shielding; the vertical rods are protected by the surrounding helices.

Both the top deck 54 and the bottom deck 58' are fabricated of wood and extend from one extreme stringer 56 of the pallet to the other forming a rigid structure. In this preferred embodiment, the bottom edges of the enclosure abut the stringers 56 of the pallet 53. As shown, the rectangle of the top deck 54 of the pallet is sized to fit internally and tightly with the bottom edges of the enclosure 49, the protrusion of the stringer edges and ends beyond the top deck being best illustrated in FIG. 4.

Holding means 59 complete the preferred embodiment of this invention. As shown, each of these holding means comprises a strap 60 extending vertically from and is attached to an outer longitudinal vertical surface of one of the outermost stringers 56. The strap is fastened to the stringer by nut and bolt 62' and extends up along side the adjoining bottom cleat 42 of the enclosure 40 which telescopically fits over the top deck 54, resting upon stringers 56. At the top edge of the bottom cleat 42 there is a bent extension 64 of the strap lapping over the edge of the cleat 42 in a holding position. With reference to FIG. 5 the relationship between the stringer 56, the bottom cleat 42 and the holding means 59 is readily appreciated. A flaring portion 66 of the strap 60 extends below the outer stringer of the pallet a vertical distance not in exess of the thickness of the bottom deck 58. The bottom deck 58 is sized so as to create a gap between each deck edge and its adjacent outer stringer edge and as to leave a similar gap between the ends of the stringers 56 and adjacnt edges of that deck. By virtue of the flaring straps 60 wide-mouthed slots 68 are created. These slots are thus adapted to receive top edges of a like enclosure in a snug fit when one of the units is stackd upon another, with the bottom deck of the pallet above telescopically fitting inside the below enclosure. Stable tiers are thus possible and centering is aided by the flare of the strap.

Referring especially to FIGS. 4 and 5 the plurality of cross-cleats 42 of a panel of the enclosure have inside vertical surfaces lying substantially in the same vertical plane. Each of these cleat surfaces is provided with a groove, and in each groove is held a metal rod of substantial thickness, extending across the panel and protuding from the opposite sides thereof. Upright slats 46 are secured to the inside vertical surfaces. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, where the rods are of a dimension matched with their grooves and are held therein, slippage between the cleats and the rods is avoided, and each rod itself, being in contact with intermediate points of the groove walls and the slats, stiffens the panel adding substantial rigidity thereto. Rods somewhat smaller than the dimensions of their grooves are somewhat easier to install, and yet the groove walls and slats contact the rods when under stress, and the structure is stiffened. The inward angle of the protruding rod end portions 48 herein described (see also FIG. 6) prevent slippage between rods and cleats, even where the rods are somewhat smaller than the grooves.

In the preferred embodiment of FIG. 6, the diameter of each of the helices 50 is as small as possible while still permitting relative rotational movement of the enclosed vertical rods 49, yielding maximum rigidity of the enclosure. To achieve complete collapse of the enclosure with adjacent vertical panels lying face on face in a collapsed position, the rod ends 43 extending from the horizontal cleats are bent inwardly, e.g. about 45 as shown in FIGURE 6, so as to extend from the cleats, terminating near the plane of the inside surface of the panel. The amount of angularity of each of the rod ends of all the panels is the same and the result is that adjacent panels can be folded face to face without putting undue strain on the helix.

What is stated in this application is intended to be merely an illustration of preferred embodiments and should therefore be taken in a descriptive and not in a limiting sense.

For instance, the enclosure may either fit internally or externally with the pallet, or may in some instances merely rest on top with holding means such as battens restricting relative horizontal slipping between the enclosure and the pallet. Other variations are likewise within the teaching of this invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A pallet bin comprising a pallet and four upright panels forming an enclosure, each panel defined by inside and outside faces, top and bottom edges, and two oppositely directed sides, each panel comprising an upper and a lower horizontal wooden cleat, each having a substantial inside vertical surface, at least one substantially horizontal groove in each of said upper and lower cleats in the inside thereof located away from the horizontal edges of said surface and each groove extending the complete length of its horizontal cleat, a continuous metal rod inserted in each of said horizontal grooves, each rod extending the full length of its groove and protruding from each of the ends thereof, each panel additionally comprising a plurality of Wooden slats each slat having a substantially fiat outer surface, and all of said slats being attached to the inner surface of each of said horizontal cleats in a substantially vertical side by side orientation, said panels being arranged to form a four-cornered enclosure with each side of each panel joined to the corresponding side of the adjacent panel through two upright metal rods, one being firmly fastened to the ends of rods protruding from one panel and the other vertical rod being firmly fastened to the like ends from the adjacent panel and four rigid metal helices for joining said panels, each helix being disposed around the two upright rods at a corner over a substantial length thereof, said helices being restrained from relative vertical movement with respect to the enclosed rods, and means for fastening the said enclosure to the bottom pallet.

2. The pallet bin of claim 1 wherein all the helices fit tightly around the enclosed rods but permitting relative rotational motion, the ends of the rods extending from each side of each panel being bent inwardly so as to extend to the plane of the inside face of said panel permitting full collapse of the enclosure.

3. In a box enclosure a first panel collapsibly secured to an adjacent second panel, said first panel comprising a plurality of spaced apart cross extending wooden cleats, a groove in each of at least two of said cleats in the inside surface thereof, at least two metal cross rods, one for each groove, each of said rods extending throughout its respective groove, and protruding from each end thereof, an inner surface defining means comprised of smooth faced material extending across said wooden cross cleats secured to the inside surface of said cross cleats and cooperating with said grooves to enclose said metal cross rods, two additional metal rods, one at each of the two opposite panel sides corresponding with said cross rod ends, one of said additional rods extending rigidly between and secured to all cross rod ends at its respective side of said panel, and the other extending rigidly between and secured to the opposite cross rod ends, and a multi-turn, elongated, rigid ring means at least at one of said sides, surrounding a substantial length of its respective additiona1 rod, also surrounding a substantial portion of a similar additional rod of said adjacent panel, the end portions of the cross rods of said first panel at the side joined to said second panel being all similarly bent to substantially identical angles, offsetting said additional rod from the plane of the cross rods, towards a face of said panel to be folded face-to-face with said adjacent panel, whereby said panel is hingedly connected to said adjacent panel being thus rotatable with respect to that adjacent panel so as to be capable of lying folded flat therewith and capable of lying extended from said adjacent panel all in such a manner that repeated opening and closing puts no strain on any member of the structure.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 975,000 Sterrett Nov. 8, 1910 2,088,969 Munroe Aug. 3, 1937 2,579,685 Loose Dec. 25, 1951 2,735,569 Averill Feb. 21, 1956 2,743,010 Koester Apr. 24, 1956 2,778,523 Dedmon Jan. 22, 1957 

1. A PALLET BIN COMPRISING A PALLET AND FOUR UPRIGHT PANELS FORMING AN ENCLOSURE, EACH PANEL DEFINED BY INSIDE AND OUTSIDE FACES, TOP AND BOTTOM EDGES, AND TWO OPPOSITELY DIRECTED SIDES, EACH PANEL COMPRISING AN UPPER AND A LOWER HORIZONTAL WOODEN CLEAT, EACH HAVING A SUBSTANTIAL INSIDE VERTICAL SURFACE, AT LEAST ONE SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL GROOVE IN EACH OF SAID UPPER AND LOWER CLEATS IN THE INSIDE THEREOF LOCATED AWAY FROM THE HORIZONTAL EDGES OF SAID SURFACE AND EACH GROOVE EXTENDING THE COMPLETE LENGTH OF ITS HORIZONTAL CLEAT, A CONTINUOUS METAL ROD INSERTED IN EACH OF SAID HORIZONTAL GROOVES, EACH ROD EXTENDING THE FULL LENGTH OF ITS GROOVE AND PROTRUDING FROM EACH OF THE ENDS THEREOF, EACH PANEL ADDITIONALLY COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF WOODEN SLATS EACH SLAT HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT OUTER SURFACE, AND ALL OF SAID SLATS BEING ATTACHED TO THE INNER SURFACE OF EACH OF SAID HORIZONTAL CLEATS IN A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL SIDE BY SIDE ORIENTATION, SAID PANELS BEING ARRANGED TO FORM A FOUR-CORNERED EN- 